MARSHALL — The next step for establishing a possible Lyon County Economic Development Authority will be to get a study committee together, County Administrator Loren Stomberg said.

“Every local government needs to be notified,” Stomberg told county commissioners on Tuesday. Commissioners gave their approval to start the selection process for a committee. Stomberg said the intent would be to send out letters to cities and townships in Lyon County to look for possible study committee members.

Earlier this month, commissioners directed Stomberg to move forward on the process that would allow the county to start its own EDA. It’s a topic the county has discussed over the past year, and it was also the focus of planning sessions including city officials and EDA staff from several different cities in Lyon County.

Under Minnesota statutes, counties have to get a recommendation from a local committee in order to form an EDA. Stomberg said the committee will need to have 11-15 members, and at least half of them must be representatives selected by local governments like cities and townships. The committee members also have to include at least one city official, one township official and one housing and redevelopment official.

Once selected, the study committee will have to move quickly on determining whether Lyon County should form its own EDA. Under state laws, the committee will have 90 days to give a recommendation, although they can get a 60-day extension, Stomberg said.

However, he said, “I think we can build quite a bit off the work we’ve done last fall and winter.”

On Tuesday, commissioners approved a draft resolution that would establish the study committee. Stomberg said he also planned to notify cities and townships in Lyon County about the call for committee members.